May 21, 2025 • 21 mins
Join travel experts Ryan and Julie as they explore America's Last Frontier in this comprehensive guide to Alaska travel. Whether you're considering an Alaska cruise, land-based adventure, or combination trip, this episode covers everything you need to know to plan your dream Alaska vacation.
- Land-Based Alaska Vacations
- Starting points: Anchorage and Fairbanks
- Transportation options: Alaska Railroad, rental cars, guided tours
- Deeper immersion into wilderness and local culture
- Access to interior Alaska destinations like Denali National Park
- Custom itineraries for specific interests (fishing, photography, wildlife)
- Best for: Active travelers, photographers, wildlife enthusiasts
- Alaska Cruises
- Inside Passage routes from Seattle or Vancouver
- Hassle-free travel with scenic coastal views
- Popular ports: Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan, Seward
- Limited time in each destination
- Best for: Cruise lovers, multi-generational travelers, comfort seekers
- Alaska Cruise Tours (Land + Sea Combination)
- Pre or post-cruise land extensions (3-7 days)
- Most popular add-on: Denali National Park
- Best of both experiences: coastal views and interior exploration
- Convenient planning through cruise lines
- Best for: Travelers wanting comprehensive Alaska experience
Best Time to Visit
- Late May through early September
- Optimal weather conditions
- Peak whale watching season
- Most ports and attractions open
Packing Essentials
- Layer for all weather types
- Waterproof clothing
- Comfortable walking shoes
- Prepare for temperature variations in single day
Physical Considerations
- Assess mobility and activity levels
- Some excursions require physical fitness
- Age restrictions on certain activities
- Wide variety of adventure levels available
Booking Strategy
- Book early due to limited travel season
- Reserve excursions after booking main trip
- Consider cruise and tour package deals
- Plan around port schedules and timing
Connect with All Things Travel
- Website: WonderAndBeyondTravel.com
- Email the hosts for personalized travel planning
- Specializing in family travel, cruises, and destination expertise
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
ryan_2_05-04-2025_194845 (00:00):
Hello and welcome to All Things
Travel.
Today we're heading up north tothe land of glaciers, grizzlies,
and breathtaking landscapes.
Alaska, Whether you're dreamingof a cozy cruise through the
inside passage or exploringrugged terrain on land, Alaska
is a dream destination that canbe experienced in so many
different ways.
j_1_05-04-2025_194845 (00:20):
man.
in with travel advisors anddestination experts, Ryan and
Julie.
He is your travel professorteaching you everything you need
to know to have a magicalvacation, and I'm a Disney
loving Maryland mom of three anda specialist in family travel.
we're discussing incredibledestinations, top vacation tips,
or sharing personal stories,it's always, all things travel.
ryan_2_05-04-2025_194845 (00:46):
All right, Julie, how are you doing
today?
j_1_05-04-2025_194845 (00:49):
I'm doing good.
I'm coming off of a kid freeweekend.
ryan_2_05-04-2025_194845 (00:52):
Whoa.
j_1_05-04-2025_194845 (00:53):
a person.
Yeah.
ryan_2_05-04-2025_194845 (00:56):
So this is Julie's kid Free
weekend.
I'm gonna work, I've gotta painta bedroom.
I think I made a reservation forSteven and I to go out for
dinner.
we'll see
j_1_05-04-2025_194845 (01:07):
garden.
ryan_2_05-04-2025_194845 (01:08):
we play.
That's right.
You planted a card.
obviously, you know, parentsneed that time to do that stuff.
I'm glad you got to.
j_1_05-04-2025_194845 (01:14):
How much can.
ryan_2_05-04-2025_194845 (01:15):
We can sleep in, 45 minutes later than
we normally do.
j_1_05-04-2025_194845 (01:18):
Well, I told Steven, I said, I feel like
I might like, my timeframe is sooff, from being with the kids
because going into the weekendwe'd be like, oh my gosh, I hope
we have time to at least paintthe room because we're so used
to doing things, being
ryan_2_05-04-2025_194845 (01:35):
Yes,
j_1_05-04-2025_194845 (01:35):
by three little
ryan_2_05-04-2025_194845 (01:36):
yep.
j_1_05-04-2025_194845 (01:36):
who need a thousand things from us.
when we got everything done, Iwas like, what?
did that happen?
ryan_2_05-04-2025_194845 (01:42):
Yeah.
j_1_05-04-2025_194845 (01:43):
at
ryan_2_05-04-2025_194845 (01:43):
based on the day that we're recording
this, especially for yourhusband who I know is a Star
Wars fanatic, for those of youthat observed Julie May the
fourth be with you.
j_1_05-04-2025_194845 (01:54):
Yeah, seriously.
Right.
We went to a baseball gametoday, locally.
We were supposed to go to theOrioles game today and their May
the fourth celebration was aStar Wars themed bobblehead.
Our plans changed.
We ended up going to the localminor league team instead.
it's a little closer.
We had some bad weather and itwas funny'cause they were not
(02:14):
doing Star Wars, they were doingMother's Day.
ryan_2_05-04-2025_194845 (02:17):
there you go.
j_1_05-04-2025_194845 (02:18):
It was nice.
I got to run the bases with thechildren.
ryan_2_05-04-2025_194845 (02:23):
You mean run and the children were
chasing you around?
Around the basis.
j_1_05-04-2025_194845 (02:27):
I did tell Steven, I feel like whoever
planned this didn't really thinkof the mothers
ryan_2_05-04-2025_194845 (02:31):
Yes.
j_1_05-04-2025_194845 (02:31):
meant all the moms were stuck waiting in
line with their children.
ryan_2_05-04-2025_194845 (02:35):
yeah.
That was pr.
j_1_05-04-2025_19484 (02:36):
margaritas as we walked onto the field.
ryan_2_05-04-2025_194845 (02:39):
Yeah.
Well, hey, today I am superexcited to talk about Alaska.
Alaska is a hot.
Vacation spot for anybody,whether they want to do it on
land, whether they wanna do acruise or a combination.
we're gonna talk about all threetoday.
This,
j_1_05-04-2025_194845 (02:57):
laughing because you said Alaska is a hot
destination.
ryan_2_05-04-2025_194845 (03:00):
it is a hottest.
It's a, it's a, a popular and,and we get a lot of people
talking about it.
Yes.
I understand now.
It can be hot depending on whenyou go, But before we get into
that, if you did not listen tolast week's show, go back and
take a listen because we have alaundry list of what not to do
when planning your next orhundredth crews.
(03:23):
I.
Alright, so first and foremost,why Alaska?
Why is this a dream destinationfor folks?
close your eyes and think aboutAlaska for a second.
you're probably thinking ofnatural beauty, wildlife
National Parks, the NorthernLights, depending on what time
you go.
It just, there's so many thingsthat we associate with Alaska.
(03:45):
There's also obviously uniquecultural and historical
experiences, whether that'swith, the indigenous folks,
whether that's with the historyof the United States, whether
that's with the mining and goldrush history.
There's so much to discoverabout our country by going to
someplace that very few of usget to see.
(04:05):
and that's Alaska.
It's America's last frontier.
It's remote, it's untouched,it's epic.
There's places in Alaska thatare unlike anywhere else in the
United States, and it's greatfor so many different types of
travelers, adventure seekers,family, multi-generational
groups.
The first time I ever went toAlaska on a true vacation was
(04:28):
with three generations of myfamily and also couples.
You know, there can be romanticthings about, Camping and
glamping in Alaska, or taking atrip on a glass dome train and
seeing the glaciers.
absolutely a wonderful locationregardless of how you wanna
travel.
j_1_05-04-2025_1948 (04:47):
Absolutely.
I was at a wedding expo lastweek and I had a couple brides
who wanted to do Alaska fortheir honeymoon.
I thought that was really
ryan_2_05-04-2025_194845 (04:54):
Yeah, absolutely.
So we're gonna talk about threeways to visit Alaska today, and
Julie's gonna start us off bytalking about why we may want to
think about a land-basedvacation in Alaska.
j_1_05-04-2025_194845 (05:08):
there's quite a few things to think
about.
I know a lot of people thinkabout the Alaska cruises, but
we're gonna start on landbecause there's a lot of
different things to see with aland-based Alaska trip.
So something that you definitelywanna consider is the logistics
of it.
You're.
Typically going to start inAnchorage or Fairbanks and build
your trip from there.
It's easy to fly into Anchorageand then decide, do you wanna go
(05:31):
north?
Do you wanna go south?
what's the focus of your trip?
you need to know the focus ofyour trip before you decide if
you're doing land or
ryan_2_05-04-2025_194845 (05:39):
Yeah.
'cause there's so much inAlaska, you really have to know
what are the must dos.
Otherwise you won't know whereto go and how to go.
j_1_05-04-2025_194845 (05:48):
Right, and you'll try to do too much.
ryan_2_05-04-2025_194845 (05:51):
Yeah.
j_1_05-04-2025_194845 (05:51):
another thing to consider is how are you
gonna get around there is theAlaska Railroad.
That gives you quite a fewoptions.
You can also think about rentinga car or doing guided tours or
even a combination of thesethings.
maybe you rent a car for alittle bit do a tour for a
little bit and then get on thetrain.
The great thing about a landvacation to Alaska is you can
(06:12):
really get immersed in yourdestination way more than you
can with a cruise When you thinkabout a cruise, you're gonna get
off at a port.
You are gonna have a couplehours in port and you're gonna
get back on the ship when you'redoing that land vacation, you
can do so many more excursions.
You can really get into theheart of Alaska.
You can go up to Denali.
you can't do Denali on a cruise.
(06:34):
You can only do it by land.
and taking the train throughthere through the national Park,
it's just a really beautiful,Way to experience that state.
You can also see a lot more ofthe interior towns of Alaska,
like the lesser known areas.
Maybe there's better fishingthere, different wildlife to
see, things like that.
You're also gonna have a muchmore flexible and customizable
(06:56):
itinerary.
I remember I had some clients goto Alaska last year and their
big focus was fishing
ryan_2_05-04-2025_194845 (07:01):
That's right.
I remember you planning thattrip.
j_1_05-04-2025_194845 (07:03):
had a seven day itinerary of just
fishing.
they were at a fishing lodge,and they did everything on site.
It was an amazing trip, but thatwas a completely custom trip for
Alaska, which you're not goingto find on a cruise.
You can only really do that onland.
and this kind of goes with theimmersion factor.
You can explore so much deeperinto the wilderness.
(07:25):
You can stay at these historiclodges, these small towns that
are owned by, families from thatarea.
And that just makes yourexperience really special and
intimate.
Doing a land vacation willrequire a lot more planning and
coordination.
It's up to you and us as yourtravel advisor to coordinate
(07:47):
everything where you're gonnastay, what you're gonna do, how
are you getting here and there.
So there is a lot more to thinkabout, but I do think it's worth
it.
The weather can be a littleunpredictable.
So conditions of roads or,what's going on with the
environment might affect timingor access to specific areas of
(08:07):
Alaska.
So if you are someone thinkingabout doing a land trip to
Alaska, it's really best forpeople who are active travelers,
someone who's a photographer, orif you really love wildlife,
this is definitely the way togo.
ryan_2_05-04-2025_194845 (08:23):
So another way to explore Alaska is
through a cruise.
oftentimes we're thinking of theinside passage, from either
Seattle or Vancouver headingnorthbound or southbound.
Depending on where you start thecruise, sometimes you can start
that in Seward and Anchorage.
depending on which way you wantto go.
So what are some pros of anAlaskan cruise?
(08:44):
It's very hassle-free as far asyou unpack.
Once you have your hotel for theentire stay and your hotel takes
you to the locations, you havesnic coastal views.
Think of glaciers.
Think of fjords, think ofwhales.
I remember when I was on myAlaskan cruise, other than the
pier sea days, Julie, you'reseeing land almost the entire
(09:07):
time you're cruising.
we talk about having thatbalcony for Alaska, and it's
because.
You are seeing the land almostall the time, and there's just
amazing shore excursions likeJuno, Skagway, Ketchikan.
I'll talk more about theseplaces in a bit, but there are
some considerations when itcomes to Alaskan Cruising
(09:27):
Limited time in each location.
like Julie talked about, a fewminutes ago, you've got part of
a day to see the highlights, andthen it's time to get back on
the ship.
You're going to miss some ofthat interior Alaska, unless you
do a combo land sea journey.
I will have a lot of people askme about Alaskan cruises, but
when they start talking aboutwhere they want to see a cruise
(09:51):
really isn't the best fit,Alaskan cruises are best for
obviously cruise lovers.
If you start cruising and youlove cruising, eventually you're
gonna get to Alaska.
multi-generational travelersbecause the mode of travel is
much more accessible for a lotof different people and folks
(10:12):
that want to see thedestinations, but want their
travel taken care of in comfortand some ease.
j_1_05-04-2025_194845 (10:20):
Yeah, I remember booking an Alaska
cruise for clients for nextyear, and they were very
surprised about, oh, like, so westop in Vancouver for four hours
and
ryan_2_05-04-2025_194845 (10:31):
Yeah.
Yep.
j_1_05-04-2025_194845 (10:33):
So really
ryan_2_05-04-2025_194845 (10:33):
I,
j_1_05-04-2025_194845 (10:33):
attention to those port times is important
if you're just doing the cruise.
ryan_2_05-04-2025_194845 (10:37):
yes, absolutely.
j_1_05-04-2025_194845 (10:38):
So that's why this last option, I think is
the best option.
The land and sea combination,and this is typically called a
cruise tour, a multiple,multiple cruise lines.
Do this in Alaska, and it'sreally a great idea.
how it works is you pick yourcruise and then you can choose
to add on a pre a post-trip landextension.
(11:01):
It's usually about three toseven days for that add-on.
one of the most popular ones isadding on Denali
ryan_2_05-04-2025_1 (11:08):
absolutely.
j_1_05-04-2025_194845 (11:09):
But the biggest benefit is that you get
that interior and.
Immersive experience of being onthe land, but then you also get
all those great coastal viewsand being able to see a lot more
towns in Alaska, you get to seeDenali and cruise through the
glaciers all in one trip.
ryan_2_05-04-2025_194845 (11:28):
Yeah.
Yeah.
j_1_05-04-2025_194845 (11:29):
make it a much longer trip, but it's worth
it.
This is also pretty easy to dothrough the cruise lines.
You just add on that package andthey take care of everything
else.
They've got your transfers setup for your cruise tour.
They are with you on the cruisetour.
You're probably with otherpeople also on your cruise.
It's very easy and convenient.
(11:50):
So this is really for people whowant a deeper experience, but
they don't wanna plan everythingon their own.
and they want the convenience ofthe cruise planning.
ryan_2_05-04-2025_194845 (11:59):
I've, planned several of these for
clients, and I think there's abig upside to the combination.
A couple things I will say isnot every cruise.
Offers this, and not everycruise offers both a pre and
post.
So make sure that you're eitherflexible with your dates or you
have enough time to reallyfigure out what date and what
cruise makes the most sense.
(12:21):
think about how you want toposition yourself.
do you want that more active?
Time after the cruise or beforethe cruise.
Some people want to you know,get acclimated to Alaska through
the cruise and then enjoy theinterior.
Other peoples want to do more ofthe hiking, national park stuff
and then relax for the secondhalf of their cruise.
(12:42):
All right, so Julie, before wetalk about some places to visit
in Alaska and some tips forplanning this type of trip, I
wanna talk about where in theworld is all things travel.
So often an Alaskan cruise willgo to British Columbia, and this
week's where in the world isLangley British Columbia.
this is a town outside ofVancouver in the Frazier Valley.
(13:05):
what I love about the FrazierValley, as I started to do some
research.
Is it's known for wine, I wantto take a wine tour with our
listener and really soak up thebeautiful scenery that is
British Columbia.
I've been there several times.
It is absolutely jaw dropping.
I want to drink some wine.
enjoy the sights and hang outwith our listener, and talk
(13:28):
travel.
j_1_05-04-2025_194845 (13:29):
Yes, sounds great.
ryan_2_05-04-2025_194845 (13:31):
Well, hey, British Columbia, reach out
to us because I am so excitedthat Langley is listening to all
Things Travel.
You can do that by reaching outvia email to either Julie or
myself, or going to Wonder andbeyond travel.com and clicking
Contact Us.
I would love to send you alittle thank you gift for being
featured on the show.
(13:51):
All right, so let's talk aboutsome of the places that we're
gonna visit in Alaska, whetherit's a land or a cruise type of
vacation.
Obviously most people think ofDenali.
so the national park there,you've got wildlife, you've got
Mount Denali views, you havetundra landscapes.
This is a nature lover's dreamto see Alaska in this way.
(14:13):
Juno, which is the capital ofAlaska, only accessible by boat
and plane.
So most of the time you're gonnasee this via, a cruise.
This is where you're gonna seeMende Hall Glacier.
You're gonna do whale watching.
when I was on my Alaskan cruise,that's exactly what we did.
we did a Menden MendenhallGlacier excursion, absolutely
(14:34):
breathtaking We really wish thatwe had done whale watching here.
That was the one thing we didnot do on our Alaskan crews.
and Juneau would've been theperfect place.
Probably the most unique portstop is Skagway, and this is a
gold rush town and the entiretown almost has that western
(14:55):
feel to it.
And it also has the number onetourist excursion in the state
of Alaska, and that is theScenic railway.
If you go to Skagway for thefirst time and you don't do the
railway, you are missing out.
I come from a trained family.
My dad was on the train with us.
he's like, I don't care whatelse we do on this cruise.
(15:17):
We are going on this train.
And it was worth every momentand penny that we spent on it.
Kechika is a unique, port.
This was our first port when westopped on our cruise.
It is the salmon capital of theUnited States.
a beautiful rainforest, thatPacific rainforest.
(15:39):
we did a nature hike with anaturalist sit down, have some
salmon for lunch and just enjoyyour time there.
Seward Alaska is known for thegateway to the Kana fjords, sea
Life Center.
You're thinking puffins here,which is not something you would
think normally in Alaska, butthat sounds amazing.
(16:00):
Anchorage I've been to once andit's really urban meets wild and
it's a great base for shorttrips.
this was really interesting.
My first trip to Alaska was whenI was a college professor and a
colleague and I went up therefor a conference the good thing
was I was in Alaska for thefirst time.
The bad thing was I was only inAnchorage, Alaska.
it was really kinda weird to bein Alaska but not be in Alaska.
(16:25):
Then lastly, Fairbanks.
So Northern Lights in theshoulder season, hot Springs.
There's just so much diversitywhen it comes to Alaska and the
landscapes you can see.
j_1_05-04-2025_194845 (16:38):
Ryan, so I have a question for you then.
When you, since you did thecruise
ryan_2_05-04-2025_194845 (16:44):
Yeah.
j_1_05-04-2025_194845 (16:44):
we know there's so much to see in
Alaska, did you feel like yougot a good experience or were
you wishing you had more time inthe ports?
ryan_2_05-04-2025_194845 (16:54):
I feel okay, and I was gonna talk about
this at the end, yes, I feltlike we had enough time in the
ports.
j_1_05-04-2025_194845 (17:01):
Okay.
ryan_2_05-04-2025_1948 (17:01):
However, the next time I do this, I'm
definitely doing a combinationland and
j_1_05-04-2025_194845 (17:07):
another cruise?
ryan_2_05-04-2025_194845 (17:08):
would definitely do another cruise
'cause I think there's too muchto see at all of these ports.
I would definitely do anothercruise, but it has to have a
lane component, the next time Ido it.
So was there enough time?
Yes, a hundred percent.
Do I need to see more?
Yes, a hundred percent.
j_1_05-04-2025_194845 (17:26):
Okay.
Okay.
ryan_2_05-04-2025_194845 (17:27):
Julie, what are some tips when we're
planning this, trip to Alaska?
j_1_05-04-2025_194845 (17:33):
the best time to go is late May through
early September.
if you are doing a cruise, youwill see that these are really
the only times offered landvacations could be year round.
But keep in mind, these are thebest times to go, the best time
to do whale watching, the besttime for the weather.
more places are going to be openwithin the ports.
(17:53):
You also want to make sureyou're packing for all types of
weather.
The ports are so different fromeach other.
Some of them it's going to becold, some of them it's going to
be hot.
Make sure you've got layers andadd-ons.
If you're doing a reallyinvolved excursion, they might
provide, some clothing for you,like an extra jacket but know
(18:14):
that in advance.
ryan_2_05-04-2025_194845 (18:16):
Yeah, if you're going on an Alaskan
cruise, in the same day youcould be wearing a t-shirt and
shorts.
You could be wearing jeans and asweater.
You could be wearing a heavycoat and hat.
It just really depends where youare and what you're doing, and
it will be wet.
j_1_05-04-2025_194845 (18:32):
Mm-hmm.
ryan_2_05-04-2025_194845 (18:33):
and so yeah, and that makes packing for
these types of trips reallychallenging.
but I really love that varietyall in one trip
j_1_05-04-2025_194845 (18:42):
Yeah, that's super unique.
the next big thing is toconsider your mobility and
activity level.
Some excursions are reallyrugged, you know, if you wanna
go and see a glacier.
You need to be able to handlegetting to it, walking to it,
You might have some sort ofphysical restrictions or what I
see most of my clients is I say,you need to wait till your kids
(19:05):
are a little older becausethey're not gonna be allowed on
those excursions.
A lot of clients will come andsay, let's do Alaska now and
let's do it as a cruise becausethe kids are gonna do well on a
cruise.
You're not gonna be able to doexcursions though, because
they're too young.
ryan_2_05-04-2025_194845 (19:18):
You're not gonna be able to do the
excursions you want I will saythere is a wide variety of
excursions.
There's definitely ones that arefamily friendly.
There's definitely ones that aremore adventurous and rugged.
keep that in mind with yourexcursions.
I think the same is true whenyou go to Europe, right, more
than the Caribbean.
I think Alaska, you really haveto think about what excursions
(19:41):
fit you the most.
j_1_05-04-2025_1948 (19:42):
Absolutely.
I was working with clients onceand they were like, well, I'm
just not very adventurous.
And it was kinda like, well, isAlaska the right destination
ryan_2_05-04-2025_194845 (19:49):
Right now you could go to Alaska and
not be adventurous.
You can go to Alaska and seebeautiful sites and go for a
nature walk and see beautifulports, I wore tennis shoes the
entire time.
You don't have to be rugged andyou can still enjoy the
landscapes.
j_1_05-04-2025_194845 (20:07):
That's a good point.
That's a good point.
ryan_2_05-04-2025_194845 (20:09):
what's the last tip that we want to
share with people?
j_1_05-04-2025_194845 (20:13):
the last big and very important tip, and
we always say this, is to bookearly these trips because the,
especially the cruises, they'resuch that short timeframe for
travel.
They book up so quickly and thenonce you book your crews, start
working on those excursions.
ryan_2_05-04-2025_194845 (20:33):
So Juli, as we wrap up here, you
have not been to Alaska.
What excites you the most whenwe talk about either taking a
land or cruise vacation toAlaska?
j_1_05-04-2025_194845 (20:44):
I really want, to go whale watching
That's what I would do.
ryan_2_05-04-2025_194845 (20:48):
Yeah, I love it and I think, Like I
said earlier, for me what I'mmost excited about is getting
back on a cruise to Alaska,enjoying that relaxation and
that immersion, but alsospending some time in the
national parks and, reallyappreciating the diverse
landscapes of the state.
j_1_05-04-2025_194845 (21:07):
The world is full of wonder and your next
great adventure is waiting atWonder and Beyond Travel.
We work with you to create a oneof a kind journey and take the
stress off your plate so you canfocus on the joy of exploring
and the memories that will staywith you forever.
If you're ready to startplanning or just want to dream a
little bigger, head over toWonder and beyond travel.com.
(21:30):
We'd love to help you getstarted.
ryan_2_05-04-2025_194845 (21:33):
We look forward to talking to you
next week on All Things Travel,when we discuss a new trend in
travel, a retirement moon.
Hello and welcome to All Things
Travel.
Today we're heading up north tothe land of glaciers, grizzlies,
and breathtaking landscapes.
Alaska, Whether you're dreamingof a cozy cruise through the
inside passage or exploringrugged terrain on land, Alaska
is a dream destination that canbe experienced in so many
different ways.
j_1_05-04-2025_194845 (00:20):
man.
in with travel advisors anddestination experts, Ryan and
Julie.
He is your travel professorteaching you everything you need
to know to have a magicalvacation, and I'm a Disney
loving Maryland mom of three anda specialist in family travel.
we're discussing incredibledestinations, top vacation tips,
or sharing personal stories,it's always, all things travel.
ryan_2_05-04-2025_194845 (00:46):
All right, Julie, how are you doing
today?
j_1_05-04-2025_194845 (00:49):
I'm doing good.
I'm coming off of a kid freeweekend.
ryan_2_05-04-2025_194845 (00:52):
Whoa.
j_1_05-04-2025_194845 (00:53):
a person.
Yeah.
ryan_2_05-04-2025_194845 (00:56):
So this is Julie's kid Free
weekend.
I'm gonna work, I've gotta painta bedroom.
I think I made a reservation forSteven and I to go out for
dinner.
we'll see
j_1_05-04-2025_194845 (01:07):
garden.
ryan_2_05-04-2025_194845 (01:08):
we play.
That's right.
You planted a card.
obviously, you know, parentsneed that time to do that stuff.
I'm glad you got to.
j_1_05-04-2025_194845 (01:14):
How much can.
ryan_2_05-04-2025_194845 (01:15):
We can sleep in, 45 minutes later than
we normally do.
j_1_05-04-2025_194845 (01:18):
Well, I told Steven, I said, I feel like
I might like, my timeframe is sooff, from being with the kids
because going into the weekendwe'd be like, oh my gosh, I hope
we have time to at least paintthe room because we're so used
to doing things, being
ryan_2_05-04-2025_194845 (01:35):
Yes,
j_1_05-04-2025_194845 (01:35):
by three little
ryan_2_05-04-2025_194845 (01:36):
yep.
j_1_05-04-2025_194845 (01:36):
who need a thousand things from us.
when we got everything done, Iwas like, what?
did that happen?
ryan_2_05-04-2025_194845 (01:42):
Yeah.
j_1_05-04-2025_194845 (01:43):
at
ryan_2_05-04-2025_194845 (01:43):
based on the day that we're recording
this, especially for yourhusband who I know is a Star
Wars fanatic, for those of youthat observed Julie May the
fourth be with you.
j_1_05-04-2025_194845 (01:54):
Yeah, seriously.
Right.
We went to a baseball gametoday, locally.
We were supposed to go to theOrioles game today and their May
the fourth celebration was aStar Wars themed bobblehead.
Our plans changed.
We ended up going to the localminor league team instead.
it's a little closer.
We had some bad weather and itwas funny'cause they were not
(02:14):
doing Star Wars, they were doingMother's Day.
ryan_2_05-04-2025_194845 (02:17):
there you go.
j_1_05-04-2025_194845 (02:18):
It was nice.
I got to run the bases with thechildren.
ryan_2_05-04-2025_194845 (02:23):
You mean run and the children were
chasing you around?
Around the basis.
j_1_05-04-2025_194845 (02:27):
I did tell Steven, I feel like whoever
planned this didn't really thinkof the mothers
ryan_2_05-04-2025_194845 (02:31):
Yes.
j_1_05-04-2025_194845 (02:31):
meant all the moms were stuck waiting in
line with their children.
ryan_2_05-04-2025_194845 (02:35):
yeah.
That was pr.
j_1_05-04-2025_19484 (02:36):
margaritas as we walked onto the field.
ryan_2_05-04-2025_194845 (02:39):
Yeah.
Well, hey, today I am superexcited to talk about Alaska.
Alaska is a hot.
Vacation spot for anybody,whether they want to do it on
land, whether they wanna do acruise or a combination.
we're gonna talk about all threetoday.
This,
j_1_05-04-2025_194845 (02:57):
laughing because you said Alaska is a hot
destination.
ryan_2_05-04-2025_194845 (03:00):
it is a hottest.
It's a, it's a, a popular and,and we get a lot of people
talking about it.
Yes.
I understand now.
It can be hot depending on whenyou go, But before we get into
that, if you did not listen tolast week's show, go back and
take a listen because we have alaundry list of what not to do
when planning your next orhundredth crews.
(03:23):
I.
Alright, so first and foremost,why Alaska?
Why is this a dream destinationfor folks?
close your eyes and think aboutAlaska for a second.
you're probably thinking ofnatural beauty, wildlife
National Parks, the NorthernLights, depending on what time
you go.
It just, there's so many thingsthat we associate with Alaska.
(03:45):
There's also obviously uniquecultural and historical
experiences, whether that'swith, the indigenous folks,
whether that's with the historyof the United States, whether
that's with the mining and goldrush history.
There's so much to discoverabout our country by going to
someplace that very few of usget to see.
(04:05):
and that's Alaska.
It's America's last frontier.
It's remote, it's untouched,it's epic.
There's places in Alaska thatare unlike anywhere else in the
United States, and it's greatfor so many different types of
travelers, adventure seekers,family, multi-generational
groups.
The first time I ever went toAlaska on a true vacation was
(04:28):
with three generations of myfamily and also couples.
You know, there can be romanticthings about, Camping and
glamping in Alaska, or taking atrip on a glass dome train and
seeing the glaciers.
absolutely a wonderful locationregardless of how you wanna
travel.
j_1_05-04-2025_1948 (04:47):
Absolutely.
I was at a wedding expo lastweek and I had a couple brides
who wanted to do Alaska fortheir honeymoon.
I thought that was really
ryan_2_05-04-2025_194845 (04:54):
Yeah, absolutely.
So we're gonna talk about threeways to visit Alaska today, and
Julie's gonna start us off bytalking about why we may want to
think about a land-basedvacation in Alaska.
j_1_05-04-2025_194845 (05:08):
there's quite a few things to think
about.
I know a lot of people thinkabout the Alaska cruises, but
we're gonna start on landbecause there's a lot of
different things to see with aland-based Alaska trip.
So something that you definitelywanna consider is the logistics
of it.
You're.
Typically going to start inAnchorage or Fairbanks and build
your trip from there.
It's easy to fly into Anchorageand then decide, do you wanna go
(05:31):
north?
Do you wanna go south?
what's the focus of your trip?
you need to know the focus ofyour trip before you decide if
you're doing land or
ryan_2_05-04-2025_194845 (05:39):
Yeah.
'cause there's so much inAlaska, you really have to know
what are the must dos.
Otherwise you won't know whereto go and how to go.
j_1_05-04-2025_194845 (05:48):
Right, and you'll try to do too much.
ryan_2_05-04-2025_194845 (05:51):
Yeah.
j_1_05-04-2025_194845 (05:51):
another thing to consider is how are you
gonna get around there is theAlaska Railroad.
That gives you quite a fewoptions.
You can also think about rentinga car or doing guided tours or
even a combination of thesethings.
maybe you rent a car for alittle bit do a tour for a
little bit and then get on thetrain.
The great thing about a landvacation to Alaska is you can
(06:12):
really get immersed in yourdestination way more than you
can with a cruise When you thinkabout a cruise, you're gonna get
off at a port.
You are gonna have a couplehours in port and you're gonna
get back on the ship when you'redoing that land vacation, you
can do so many more excursions.
You can really get into theheart of Alaska.
You can go up to Denali.
you can't do Denali on a cruise.
(06:34):
You can only do it by land.
and taking the train throughthere through the national Park,
it's just a really beautiful,Way to experience that state.
You can also see a lot more ofthe interior towns of Alaska,
like the lesser known areas.
Maybe there's better fishingthere, different wildlife to
see, things like that.
You're also gonna have a muchmore flexible and customizable
(06:56):
itinerary.
I remember I had some clients goto Alaska last year and their
big focus was fishing
ryan_2_05-04-2025_194845 (07:01):
That's right.
I remember you planning thattrip.
j_1_05-04-2025_194845 (07:03):
had a seven day itinerary of just
fishing.
they were at a fishing lodge,and they did everything on site.
It was an amazing trip, but thatwas a completely custom trip for
Alaska, which you're not goingto find on a cruise.
You can only really do that onland.
and this kind of goes with theimmersion factor.
You can explore so much deeperinto the wilderness.
(07:25):
You can stay at these historiclodges, these small towns that
are owned by, families from thatarea.
And that just makes yourexperience really special and
intimate.
Doing a land vacation willrequire a lot more planning and
coordination.
It's up to you and us as yourtravel advisor to coordinate
(07:47):
everything where you're gonnastay, what you're gonna do, how
are you getting here and there.
So there is a lot more to thinkabout, but I do think it's worth
it.
The weather can be a littleunpredictable.
So conditions of roads or,what's going on with the
environment might affect timingor access to specific areas of
(08:07):
Alaska.
So if you are someone thinkingabout doing a land trip to
Alaska, it's really best forpeople who are active travelers,
someone who's a photographer, orif you really love wildlife,
this is definitely the way togo.
ryan_2_05-04-2025_194845 (08:23):
So another way to explore Alaska is
through a cruise.
oftentimes we're thinking of theinside passage, from either
Seattle or Vancouver headingnorthbound or southbound.
Depending on where you start thecruise, sometimes you can start
that in Seward and Anchorage.
depending on which way you wantto go.
So what are some pros of anAlaskan cruise?
(08:44):
It's very hassle-free as far asyou unpack.
Once you have your hotel for theentire stay and your hotel takes
you to the locations, you havesnic coastal views.
Think of glaciers.
Think of fjords, think ofwhales.
I remember when I was on myAlaskan cruise, other than the
pier sea days, Julie, you'reseeing land almost the entire
(09:07):
time you're cruising.
we talk about having thatbalcony for Alaska, and it's
because.
You are seeing the land almostall the time, and there's just
amazing shore excursions likeJuno, Skagway, Ketchikan.
I'll talk more about theseplaces in a bit, but there are
some considerations when itcomes to Alaskan Cruising
(09:27):
Limited time in each location.
like Julie talked about, a fewminutes ago, you've got part of
a day to see the highlights, andthen it's time to get back on
the ship.
You're going to miss some ofthat interior Alaska, unless you
do a combo land sea journey.
I will have a lot of people askme about Alaskan cruises, but
when they start talking aboutwhere they want to see a cruise
(09:51):
really isn't the best fit,Alaskan cruises are best for
obviously cruise lovers.
If you start cruising and youlove cruising, eventually you're
gonna get to Alaska.
multi-generational travelersbecause the mode of travel is
much more accessible for a lotof different people and folks
(10:12):
that want to see thedestinations, but want their
travel taken care of in comfortand some ease.
j_1_05-04-2025_194845 (10:20):
Yeah, I remember booking an Alaska
cruise for clients for nextyear, and they were very
surprised about, oh, like, so westop in Vancouver for four hours
and
ryan_2_05-04-2025_194845 (10:31):
Yeah.
Yep.
j_1_05-04-2025_194845 (10:33):
So really
ryan_2_05-04-2025_194845 (10:33):
I,
j_1_05-04-2025_194845 (10:33):
attention to those port times is important
if you're just doing the cruise.
ryan_2_05-04-2025_194845 (10:37):
yes, absolutely.
j_1_05-04-2025_194845 (10:38):
So that's why this last option, I think is
the best option.
The land and sea combination,and this is typically called a
cruise tour, a multiple,multiple cruise lines.
Do this in Alaska, and it'sreally a great idea.
how it works is you pick yourcruise and then you can choose
to add on a pre a post-trip landextension.
(11:01):
It's usually about three toseven days for that add-on.
one of the most popular ones isadding on Denali
ryan_2_05-04-2025_1 (11:08):
absolutely.
j_1_05-04-2025_194845 (11:09):
But the biggest benefit is that you get
that interior and.
Immersive experience of being onthe land, but then you also get
all those great coastal viewsand being able to see a lot more
towns in Alaska, you get to seeDenali and cruise through the
glaciers all in one trip.
ryan_2_05-04-2025_194845 (11:28):
Yeah.
Yeah.
j_1_05-04-2025_194845 (11:29):
make it a much longer trip, but it's worth
it.
This is also pretty easy to dothrough the cruise lines.
You just add on that package andthey take care of everything
else.
They've got your transfers setup for your cruise tour.
They are with you on the cruisetour.
You're probably with otherpeople also on your cruise.
It's very easy and convenient.
(11:50):
So this is really for people whowant a deeper experience, but
they don't wanna plan everythingon their own.
and they want the convenience ofthe cruise planning.
ryan_2_05-04-2025_194845 (11:59):
I've, planned several of these for
clients, and I think there's abig upside to the combination.
A couple things I will say isnot every cruise.
Offers this, and not everycruise offers both a pre and
post.
So make sure that you're eitherflexible with your dates or you
have enough time to reallyfigure out what date and what
cruise makes the most sense.
(12:21):
think about how you want toposition yourself.
do you want that more active?
Time after the cruise or beforethe cruise.
Some people want to you know,get acclimated to Alaska through
the cruise and then enjoy theinterior.
Other peoples want to do more ofthe hiking, national park stuff
and then relax for the secondhalf of their cruise.
(12:42):
All right, so Julie, before wetalk about some places to visit
in Alaska and some tips forplanning this type of trip, I
wanna talk about where in theworld is all things travel.
So often an Alaskan cruise willgo to British Columbia, and this
week's where in the world isLangley British Columbia.
this is a town outside ofVancouver in the Frazier Valley.
(13:05):
what I love about the FrazierValley, as I started to do some
research.
Is it's known for wine, I wantto take a wine tour with our
listener and really soak up thebeautiful scenery that is
British Columbia.
I've been there several times.
It is absolutely jaw dropping.
I want to drink some wine.
enjoy the sights and hang outwith our listener, and talk
(13:28):
travel.
j_1_05-04-2025_194845 (13:29):
Yes, sounds great.
ryan_2_05-04-2025_194845 (13:31):
Well, hey, British Columbia, reach out
to us because I am so excitedthat Langley is listening to all
Things Travel.
You can do that by reaching outvia email to either Julie or
myself, or going to Wonder andbeyond travel.com and clicking
Contact Us.
I would love to send you alittle thank you gift for being
featured on the show.
(13:51):
All right, so let's talk aboutsome of the places that we're
gonna visit in Alaska, whetherit's a land or a cruise type of
vacation.
Obviously most people think ofDenali.
so the national park there,you've got wildlife, you've got
Mount Denali views, you havetundra landscapes.
This is a nature lover's dreamto see Alaska in this way.
(14:13):
Juno, which is the capital ofAlaska, only accessible by boat
and plane.
So most of the time you're gonnasee this via, a cruise.
This is where you're gonna seeMende Hall Glacier.
You're gonna do whale watching.
when I was on my Alaskan cruise,that's exactly what we did.
we did a Menden MendenhallGlacier excursion, absolutely
(14:34):
breathtaking We really wish thatwe had done whale watching here.
That was the one thing we didnot do on our Alaskan crews.
and Juneau would've been theperfect place.
Probably the most unique portstop is Skagway, and this is a
gold rush town and the entiretown almost has that western
(14:55):
feel to it.
And it also has the number onetourist excursion in the state
of Alaska, and that is theScenic railway.
If you go to Skagway for thefirst time and you don't do the
railway, you are missing out.
I come from a trained family.
My dad was on the train with us.
he's like, I don't care whatelse we do on this cruise.
(15:17):
We are going on this train.
And it was worth every momentand penny that we spent on it.
Kechika is a unique, port.
This was our first port when westopped on our cruise.
It is the salmon capital of theUnited States.
a beautiful rainforest, thatPacific rainforest.
(15:39):
we did a nature hike with anaturalist sit down, have some
salmon for lunch and just enjoyyour time there.
Seward Alaska is known for thegateway to the Kana fjords, sea
Life Center.
You're thinking puffins here,which is not something you would
think normally in Alaska, butthat sounds amazing.
(16:00):
Anchorage I've been to once andit's really urban meets wild and
it's a great base for shorttrips.
this was really interesting.
My first trip to Alaska was whenI was a college professor and a
colleague and I went up therefor a conference the good thing
was I was in Alaska for thefirst time.
The bad thing was I was only inAnchorage, Alaska.
it was really kinda weird to bein Alaska but not be in Alaska.
(16:25):
Then lastly, Fairbanks.
So Northern Lights in theshoulder season, hot Springs.
There's just so much diversitywhen it comes to Alaska and the
landscapes you can see.
j_1_05-04-2025_194845 (16:38):
Ryan, so I have a question for you then.
When you, since you did thecruise
ryan_2_05-04-2025_194845 (16:44):
Yeah.
j_1_05-04-2025_194845 (16:44):
we know there's so much to see in
Alaska, did you feel like yougot a good experience or were
you wishing you had more time inthe ports?
ryan_2_05-04-2025_194845 (16:54):
I feel okay, and I was gonna talk about
this at the end, yes, I feltlike we had enough time in the
ports.
j_1_05-04-2025_194845 (17:01):
Okay.
ryan_2_05-04-2025_1948 (17:01):
However, the next time I do this, I'm
definitely doing a combinationland and
j_1_05-04-2025_194845 (17:07):
another cruise?
ryan_2_05-04-2025_194845 (17:08):
would definitely do another cruise
'cause I think there's too muchto see at all of these ports.
I would definitely do anothercruise, but it has to have a
lane component, the next time Ido it.
So was there enough time?
Yes, a hundred percent.
Do I need to see more?
Yes, a hundred percent.
j_1_05-04-2025_194845 (17:26):
Okay.
Okay.
ryan_2_05-04-2025_194845 (17:27):
Julie, what are some tips when we're
planning this, trip to Alaska?
j_1_05-04-2025_194845 (17:33):
the best time to go is late May through
early September.
if you are doing a cruise, youwill see that these are really
the only times offered landvacations could be year round.
But keep in mind, these are thebest times to go, the best time
to do whale watching, the besttime for the weather.
more places are going to be openwithin the ports.
(17:53):
You also want to make sureyou're packing for all types of
weather.
The ports are so different fromeach other.
Some of them it's going to becold, some of them it's going to
be hot.
Make sure you've got layers andadd-ons.
If you're doing a reallyinvolved excursion, they might
provide, some clothing for you,like an extra jacket but know
(18:14):
that in advance.
ryan_2_05-04-2025_194845 (18:16):
Yeah, if you're going on an Alaskan
cruise, in the same day youcould be wearing a t-shirt and
shorts.
You could be wearing jeans and asweater.
You could be wearing a heavycoat and hat.
It just really depends where youare and what you're doing, and
it will be wet.
j_1_05-04-2025_194845 (18:32):
Mm-hmm.
ryan_2_05-04-2025_194845 (18:33):
and so yeah, and that makes packing for
these types of trips reallychallenging.
but I really love that varietyall in one trip
j_1_05-04-2025_194845 (18:42):
Yeah, that's super unique.
the next big thing is toconsider your mobility and
activity level.
Some excursions are reallyrugged, you know, if you wanna
go and see a glacier.
You need to be able to handlegetting to it, walking to it,
You might have some sort ofphysical restrictions or what I
see most of my clients is I say,you need to wait till your kids
(19:05):
are a little older becausethey're not gonna be allowed on
those excursions.
A lot of clients will come andsay, let's do Alaska now and
let's do it as a cruise becausethe kids are gonna do well on a
cruise.
You're not gonna be able to doexcursions though, because
they're too young.
ryan_2_05-04-2025_194845 (19:18):
You're not gonna be able to do the
excursions you want I will saythere is a wide variety of
excursions.
There's definitely ones that arefamily friendly.
There's definitely ones that aremore adventurous and rugged.
keep that in mind with yourexcursions.
I think the same is true whenyou go to Europe, right, more
than the Caribbean.
I think Alaska, you really haveto think about what excursions
(19:41):
fit you the most.
j_1_05-04-2025_1948 (19:42):
Absolutely.
I was working with clients onceand they were like, well, I'm
just not very adventurous.
And it was kinda like, well, isAlaska the right destination
ryan_2_05-04-2025_194845 (19:49):
Right now you could go to Alaska and
not be adventurous.
You can go to Alaska and seebeautiful sites and go for a
nature walk and see beautifulports, I wore tennis shoes the
entire time.
You don't have to be rugged andyou can still enjoy the
landscapes.
j_1_05-04-2025_194845 (20:07):
That's a good point.
That's a good point.
ryan_2_05-04-2025_194845 (20:09):
what's the last tip that we want to
share with people?
j_1_05-04-2025_194845 (20:13):
the last big and very important tip, and
we always say this, is to bookearly these trips because the,
especially the cruises, they'resuch that short timeframe for
travel.
They book up so quickly and thenonce you book your crews, start
working on those excursions.
ryan_2_05-04-2025_194845 (20:33):
So Juli, as we wrap up here, you
have not been to Alaska.
What excites you the most whenwe talk about either taking a
land or cruise vacation toAlaska?
j_1_05-04-2025_194845 (20:44):
I really want, to go whale watching
That's what I would do.
ryan_2_05-04-2025_194845 (20:48):
Yeah, I love it and I think, Like I
said earlier, for me what I'mmost excited about is getting
back on a cruise to Alaska,enjoying that relaxation and
that immersion, but alsospending some time in the
national parks and, reallyappreciating the diverse
landscapes of the state.
j_1_05-04-2025_194845 (21:07):
The world is full of wonder and your next
great adventure is waiting atWonder and Beyond Travel.
We work with you to create a oneof a kind journey and take the
stress off your plate so you canfocus on the joy of exploring
and the memories that will staywith you forever.
If you're ready to startplanning or just want to dream a
little bigger, head over toWonder and beyond travel.com.
(21:30):
We'd love to help you getstarted.
ryan_2_05-04-2025_194845 (21:33):
We look forward to talking to you
next week on All Things Travel,when we discuss a new trend in
travel, a retirement moon.
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